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This month, more than a dozen schools will formally open to students for the start of the 2018-2019 school year – the largest number of building openings at one time in district history.
“We’re excited to turn these new buildings over to the schools,” HISD Construction Services Officer Derrick Sanders said. “I think we’ve created wonderful new 21st century learning environments for the students, and we can’t wait to see them enjoying the new facilities.”
Askew Elementary School will open a new $31 million facility to accommodate up to 850 students. The two-story building will feature colorful, light-filled learning spaces, music and theater classrooms, visual arts labs, and a computer lab that overlooks the learning commons.
Lawson Middle School students will enjoy a new $66.2 million facility, which can accommodate up to 1,500 students. The building features a large dining commons, two gymnasiums, a central courtyard, and a fine arts wing with a black box theater.
Yates High School will start classes in a new $65 million facility that can accommodate up to 1, 500 students and features specialized facilities for the school’s communications magnet program. Other features include a three-story academic wing with flexible core learning centers and a one-story, performance wing with an auditorium, fine arts and JROTC spaces.
Washington High School will welcome students to a new $56.5 million campus that can accommodate 1,300 students. The new facility showcases school’s engineering magnet program with 21st century technology, specialized engineering and science labs, and flexible learning spaces that support project-based learning.
Eastwood Academy is set to open the second and final phase of a $10.9 million project, which is a building addition and renovation that contains a two-story library and additional flexible spaces. Phase one of the project was a new wing that houses the school’s main entrance, student dining and multipurpose areas, and classrooms.
High School for Law and Justice is set to open a new $40 million campus that features a realistic courtroom, crime-scene investigations lab, an emergency communications center, a law library, and two academic wings connected by a dramatic sky bridge. The facility, which is now located at 3505 Coyle St., also includes spaces for ROTC, athletics, fine arts, and other traditional high school spaces.
Garden Oaks Montessori has undergone extensive renovations to three academic buildings, which now feature updated classrooms and science labs. In March, an earlier phase of the school’s $30.8 million upgrade was completed with the opening of two new building additions.
Wilson Montessori will open the final phase of a $24.7 million project, which features renovated classrooms in its historic main building. Earlier phases include renovations to the main entrance and administrative offices and two new building additions.
Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy will open the last phase of its $31.1 million building project, which will accommodate between 900 and 1,000 students. The updated facility features 21st century classrooms, a new dining commons and kitchen, and a new building addition that houses the gymnasium, locker rooms, science and robotics labs, and learning commons.
Pilgrim Academy will open an $8 million expansion and renovation project that features a new addition to house the middle school program. The new space will feature a science lab, a gymnasium, flexible learning areas, teacher work spaces, and additional classrooms.
Energy Institute High School (not bond funded) will open a $37 million facility that is made up of three separate buildings and will house up to 800 students. The modern design mimics the look of a high-tech corporate environment and features a central courtyard that connects the buildings and features a large covered learning staircase as its centerpiece.
Hilliard Elementary School (Harvey Rebuild) students will return to their home campus, which was renovated after receiving flood damage. In addition to being thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, the campus received extensive renovations to classroom spaces, the library, gymnasium, and main entrance areas.
Braeburn Village (Harvey Rebuild) will start the new school year in modular buildings, which have been placed on the campus of Welch Middle School. Braeburn students will stay at this temporary campus for the duration of construction of their new school, which is expected to open in early 2020.
With the opening of this group of schools, more than 70 percent of all 2012 Bond projects are complete, and that number is expected to top 80 percent by the end of 2018. Once all projects are finished, HISD will have one of the most modern portfolios of urban high schools in the country.
Follow @Build_HISD on Twitter for the latest construction updates on the 2012 Bond Program and school construction across the district.